Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



E. R. SIMPSON. MAIL BAG OATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

a sums-sum 1.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1910.

ii Hams/fig? anuewtoz Earl Rfitmpson Q/vi/twmo 1 B. R. SIMPSON.

MAIL BAG OATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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APPLICATION FILED 1330.29, 1910.

FEELE E COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPN cn.. WASHINGTON, n. C.

E. R. SIMPSON.

MAIL BAG 'GA'IOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1910.

1,021,341. Patented Mar.26, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

EE= E 4 BIS-: awuumtoz I. Ml 1151144135014 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

EARL R. SIMPSON, 0F SALEM, OREGON.

MAIL-BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL R. SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Marion, State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, and it has for its primary object the provision of an exceedingly simple, and efficient apparatus for automatically effecting the simultaneous delivery of a mail-bag from a moving train to the receiving station, and from the station to the train.

More especially, however, the invention resides in the particular construction of the apparatus located at the station, such apparatus comprising generally, a yielding buffer mounted upon an elevated platform beneath which latter is disposed a cage designed to receive the mail-bag removed from the delivery arm of the car-carried apparatus by its contact with the buffer, the platform being provided with a longitudinal slot through which the bag falls into the cage.

The invention further resides in the provision of a cradle which is movable within the cage and is rocked by a lever lying in the path of movement of the delivery arm of the car-carried apparatus, the actuation of said lever raising the cradle into operative position, and thereby holdin the delivered mail-bag against the bu er, until the lever becomes released from engagement with the cararm, whereupon, the cradle is free to return to its normal position, thus depositing the bag within the cage.

The invention still further resides in the particular construct-ion of the pole to which the platform is secured, and in the particular devices employed for rotating the pole from operative to inoperative position, and vice versa, and for retaining the pole in either position.

The preferred embodiment of the inven- Speeification of Letters Patent. Patented lar. 26, 1912 Application filed December 29, 1910.

Serial No. 599,827.

tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich corresponding parts, or features, as the case may be, are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the several views, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus located at the receiving station. Fig. 3 is a top plan of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the cage, showing the cradle in its operative position. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the cradle. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the car-arm. Fig. 7 is a fragmental sectional View illustrating the mounting of the pole.

Referring more particularly to the drawlngs, 1 designates generally, the mail car which is provided with the usual door opening 2 formed in one side thereof, in which opening is journaled a rotatable supporting bar 3, the movement of which is effected by means of a handle 4 secured to a collar 5 carried by said bar. The collar 5 also carries the crane arm generally designated 6, said arm comprising a pair of rods 7 and 8 arranged at right angles to each other, the outer end 9 of the first-mentioned rod being laterally offset so as to cooperate with the hooked forward portion 10 of the rod 8 in forming a bag receiving seat, the rear portion 11 of said rod 8 forming a support for the bag to be delivered to the apparatus at the receiving station. The crane arm will thus be moved bodily into operative position after a mail bag has been attached to the supporting portion 11, in which position it occupies an approximately horizontal plane, extending directly outward from the door way, being retained in such position by means of a fastening device (not shown) of any preferred type adapted for engagement with one end or the other of the supporting bar.

The complementary apparatus to that above described, or in other words, the apparatus located at the receiving station, consists primarily of a vertical pole 12, an elevated supporting platform 13 secured thereto, and a buffer 14 and cage 15 attached to said platform. The lower end of the pole extends through bearing openings formed in the top and bottom members 16 and 17 of a box 18 embedded in the ground adjacent the track rails upon which the mail car travels, the extreme lower end of the pole having a reduced diameter, as shown in Fig. 7, this construction resulting in the formation of a shoulder 19 which rests upon the upper face of the bottom member 17 of the box which latter thus serves as a support for the pole. The platform 13, above referred to, is secured directly to the pole at the requisite distance from the ground and is supported by a brace 20 fastened at opposite ends to the pole and the platform. Through said platform is formed a pair of longitudinal slots 21 arranged parallel with and in spaced relation to each other. The bufler 14c is mounted directly between the slots 21 and as shown comprises an open rectangular frame and a net work 22 of interwoven ropes secured thereto, the upper member 23 of said frame terminating at its inner end in a collar which embraces the pole and is secured thereto, while the lower frame member 24. is disposed directly upon the longitudinal connecting strip 25 between the slots 21. The front member 26 of the frame is constructed in two separate sections, whose mutually-adjacent inner ends are arranged in spaced relation to each other, thus forming an entrance to the inwardly extending horizontal channel 27 with which the buffer is provided, this channel resulting from the removal of a portion of the central hori- Zontal strand of rope, and the subsequent attachment of the inner ends of the adjacent upper and lower strands to the hori- Zontal strands on either side of said central strand.

The cage 15 is secured to the under face of the platform directly beneath the slots 21 and comprises a wooden frame work 29 rectangular in cross section, and a rope netting 29 secured to the lower edges of the members thereof, the length of the cage being slightly greater than that of the slots 21, whose combined width is likewise slightly less than that of the cage. One of the sides of the cage is provided with a door 30 to permit the mail bags deposited in the cage as hereinafter described, to be removed therefrom.

The supporting platform is further provided with a horizontal rock shaft 31 journaled in brackets secured to the under face of the connecting strip 25 above referred to, the forward end of said shaft projecting beyond the front edge of the platform and carrying at such point an operating lever 32. To said shaft is secured a rocker 33 consisting of a pair of spaced arcuate sides 34, whose corresponding ends are connected porting portion 11. thereof.

by rods 35, the central portion of the rocker being open as shown. The rocker which has a width slightly less than the length of the slots 21 is disposed in its normal or inoperative position completely within the cage. When, however, the operating lever 32 is swung in either direction, one end or the other of the rocker will move upwardly through the corresponding slot and will approach the buffer, as shown in Fig. 4]:-

The upper member 23 of the buffer frame carries a double hook 36 whose prongs project in opposite directions, one on one side of the buffer and the other on the other side. From either of said prongs is suspended the mail bag to be delivered to the train.

The pole 12 as originally stated is supported in a bearing box 18, is rotated in either direction by means of a laterally projecting handle 37. Secured to and surrounding the pole 12 is a ratchet wheel 52. A wear plate 39 secured to the upper portion 16 of the bearing box 18 supports a casing 5st said casing having a latch member 53 slidable therein and adapted to coact with the teeth upon the ratchet wheel 52, the coil spring 55 holding said latch member in operative position. A spring member 57 is secured to the base of the post by the collar 56, lugs 58 formed upon the casing 54 forming a keeper for said spring member 57. When the receiving apparatus is in operative position the spring member 57 extends toward the track. When a mail bag is received by the device the force of the blow swings the entire device around out of operative position, the catch and ratchet wheel actingas a brake meanwhile. When the de vice has swung through 180 degrees the spring member 57 is engaged by the keeper lugs 58 and further motion is stopped. By this arrangement the device is permitted to swing and thus take up the shock which it would otherwise experience upon the receipt of a mail bag, at the same time the spring member 57 forms an automatic means for locking the device in inoperative position.

The plat-form upon which the buffer is mounted is reached by means of a ladder 51 carried by the pole.

The operation of the complete apparatus is described as follows. As the mail car ap proaches the station, the postal clerk raises the crane arm 6 into its operative position and suspends the mail bag from the sup- At the same time, the postal clerk at the receiving station attaches a mail bag to one or the other of the prongs of the hooks 36 according to the direction in which the approaching car is traveling. As the car passes by the station the hook portion 10 of' the crane arm will pass through the channel 27 formed in the buffer, and will remove the bag from the hook 26, while at the same time, the contact of the mail bag carried by the crane arm with the buffer will remove the bag from said arm as will be apparent. Prior, however, to the removal of the mail bag from the crane arm, the lever 32, which extends normally in the path of said arm will be struck thereby and tripped, thus rocking the shaft 31 and swinging the corresponding end of the rocker through the adjacent slot 21. As the mail bag is removed from the crane arm, it is engaged by said rocker end and thus held from bounding off the platform. As the crane arm passes beyond and out of contact with the trip lever, the rocker assumes its normal position under the weight of the mail bag which latter falls through the open central portion of the rocker onto the bottom of the cage, passing through the slot 21 in the platform during such return movement of the rocker.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the transfer of the mail bags from the car to the receiving station, and vice versa, is effected automatically as the car passes the station; that the provision of the channel in the buffer and of the two pronged hooks enables the station mechanism to be operated, without changing its position irrespective of the direction in which the mail car is traveling; that the provision of the rocker has the effect of preventing the mail bag delivered to the buffer from bounding off the platform; and that the cage serves to retain the delivered mail bag and to prevent access thereto by unauthorized persons. Itwill also be apparent that the supporting platform and with it the crane and cage may be moved into and out of operative position by rotating the pole in one direction or the other, the pole being retained in its adjusted position by the engagement of the latch end in one or the other of the sockets 40.

Owing to the fact that the body portion of the buffer is formed of rope, the mail bag will suffer no injury from contact therewith, the ropes being sufficiently slack to permit the netting as a whole to yield slightly. The employment of netting as a bottom for the cage likewise prevents injury to the mail bag delivered thereto from rain which otherwise would settle in the cage.

The invention is not intended. to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described as modifications and changes may obviously be made within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a horizontal platform provided with a pair of parallel slots arranged in spaced relation to each other; a cage disposed directly beneath said slots; and a vertical buffer mounted upon said platform in the space between said slots and disposed parallel with the same.

2. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a slot; a vertical buffer mounted upon the platform adjacent said slot; and a retaining member movable through said slot into engagement with a mail-bag delivered to the buffer.

3. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a slot; a vertical buffer mounted upon said platform adjacent said slot; a shaft carried by the platform and disposed parallel with said slot; a retaining member secured to said shaft; and means for rocking said shaft, to move said member through the slot into engagement with the mail-bag delivered to the buffer.

4. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a slot; a vertical buffer mounted upon the platform adjacent said slot; a horizontally-disposed rock shaft secured to the under face of said platform parallel with said slot; a re-- t aining member secured to said shaft; and a trip lever secured to the outer end of said shaft, for rocking the same, to move said member through said slot into engagement with a mail-bag delivered to the buffer.

5. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a slot; a vertical buffer mounted upon the platform adjacent said slot and provided with an opening extending inwardly from the front edge thereof; and a retaining member carried by said platform and movable through said slot into engagement with a mail-bag delivered to the buffer.

6. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a pair of parallel slots arranged in spaced relation to each other; a vertical buffer mounted upon the platform in the space between said slots and disposed parallel with the same; a rock shaft secured to the under face of said platform directly beneath said buffer; a retaining member secured to said rock shaft; and a lever secured to said shaft, for rocking the same, to move either end of said member through the corresponding slot into engagement with a mail-bag delivered to the buffer.

7. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a pair of parallel slots arranged in spaced relation to each other; a vertical buffer mounted upon said platform in the space between said slots and disposed parallel with the same; a rock shaft secured to the under face of the platform directly beneath said buffer; a retaining member secured to said shaft and having its opposite ends upturned; and means for rocking said shaft, to move either end of said member through the corresponding slot into enga ement with a mailbag delivered to the bu er.

8. A mail-crane, comprising, in combination, a platform provided with a slot; a

vertical bufier mounted upon the platform adjacent said slot; a cage disposed directly beneath said slot; and a retaining member disposed normally within said cage and arranged for movement through said slot into engagement with a mail-bag delivered to the buffer.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EARL R. SIMPSON.

lVitnesses T. A. BLACK, H. S. BELLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

